Balsamic Mushroom Bread Pudding Recipes

WILD-MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Bake bread cubes in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan until golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
• Tear or cut mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
• Cook shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and bread cubes until coated well and let stand 10 minutes for bread to absorb some of egg mixture.
• Meanwhile, butter ramekins, then put a round of parchment in bottom of each and butter parchment.
• Spoon mixture into ramekins and bake on a baking sheet until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Unmold puddings and discard parchment.

MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the dried porcini mushrooms and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop; set aside. Carefully pour remaining mushroom liquid into a large bowl, leaving any grit behind.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add sage, shallots and chopped porcini, and cook, stirring, until shallot is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cognac, if using, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
• In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and stir to combine with the leeks. Remove from heat.
• Add eggs to the large bowl with the mushroom liquid, and whisk to blend. Add cream, milk, cayenne, 1½ teaspoons salt and plenty of black pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add the Gruyère.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, then add about 1/4 of the fresh mushroom mixture and arrange in an even layer. Arrange the bread slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the remaining mushroom mixture over top, tucking it in between the bread slices. Ladle the custard mixture over top, evenly distributing the cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight (see Tip).
• When ready to cook, remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Top the pudding with Parmesan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set in the center (it may puff a bit). Run it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully. Let sit 10 minutes, then serve warm, topped with additional sage if desired.

MUSHROOM AND LEEK BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir in the leeks and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Stir in the mushrooms, tarragon, sherry, 1 tablespoon salt and 11/2 teaspoons pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock and 1 cup of the Gruyere. Add the bread cubes and mushroom mixture, stirring well to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Stir well and pour into a 2 1/2-to-3-quart gratin dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches). Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set. Serve hot.

WILD-MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish.
• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add all mushrooms, garlic, basil, parsley, sage and thyme and sauté until mushrooms are tender and brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk eggs, cream, milk, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend.
• Add bread cubes; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Stir in mushroom mixture.
• Transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over. Bake until pudding is brown and puffed, and set in center, about 1 hour. Serve warm.
• Serves 6 as a side dish.
• 90.2% would make this recipe again
• I'm revisiting this recipe, made it and rated it as three forks two years ago. This time I believe it deserves a resounding four. First, I made half again as much because people love it and it makes great leftovers-reheating in the microwave works very well.
• Second, I more than doubled the proportion of wild mushrooms, this time using a few ounces of oyster and shiitake, with lots of crimini and portobello. I think you can use any combination of wild mushrooms but it's important not to cut them up too small. You'll think they'll never fit in the baking dish when you start the saute but they cook way down.
• Third, since I found the flavor a bit bland last time even after adding more of everything, this time I used all fresh herbs, tripled the equivalent amounts, and doubled the garlic. I also added four chopped fat shallots to the saute.
• Fourth,I used fat-free half and half, quite rich enough, lots of pepper, and nine cups of day-old challah bread with the crust still on.
• Fifth, I was very liberal with the cheese, this time using both freshly grated romano and asiago in the body of the bread pudding and sprinkled on top. I'll admit to at least three quarters of a cup of each but it could easily have been more.
• Last, I didn't want to worry about coordinating the baking with the many other dishes I prepared for Christmas, so I baked the bread pudding the day before and reheated it, covered, for maybe forty minutes at 350.
• This dish now ranks as amazing in my book. It's succulent and earthy with herbs and mushrooms, and the texture is both firm and spongy. It's a great vegetarian, but not vegan, main dish and the flavor just gets deeper and deeper the longer it sits.